Anna Hartz
EU to introduce new fee on low-value imports from July 1
Online shopping has made it easier than ever to order low-cost products from overseas. Millions of small packages now arrive in Europe every day. The growing number of shipments has raised concerns about customs checks, product safety and unfair competition for European businesses.
How do the fees work?
The European Union will introduce a new fee on July 1 for low-value packages bought from outside the bloc, reports El Economista.
The new charge will apply to packages worth up to 150 euros. It is designed to reduce the huge number of cheap imports entering Europe through online shopping platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress.
Until now, these low-value shipments were exempt from customs duties. As online shopping has grown, European customs authorities now process around 15 million of these packages every day. Officials say the large volume makes it difficult to check whether products meet EU safety rules and to prevent fraud.
Under the new system, the EU will charge three euros for each type of product included in a package.
For example, a package containing one pair of trousers and 20 T-shirts will be charged six euros because it contains two product categories. A package with trousers, a T-shirt and a cap will face a nine-euro charge because it contains three different types of products.
The fee will be paid by online shopping platforms or by the companies importing the goods. However, businesses may choose to include the extra cost in the prices customers pay.
Billions of packages
Consumer group BEUC says shoppers should not receive unexpected charges after placing an order. Companies must clearly show the total price before customers complete their purchase.
BEUC also says courier companies and postal services are not allowed to collect the fee directly from people receiving the packages. The organization says this should happen only in very rare cases.
The temporary fee will remain in place until July 1, 2028. At that point, a broader EU customs reform will take effect. The new system will remove the long-standing customs exemption for packages worth less than 150 euros and replace it with duties based on the type of goods being imported.
The number of low-cost shipments into the EU has increased rapidly. According to the European Commission, imports reached 5.9 billion packages in 2025. That is four times more than in 2022. These shipments account for 98 percent of all e-commerce packages entering the EU, even though their average value is less than nine euros.
